Boros Legion
The Boros Legion is the guild of righteous law and fierce justice. The most formidable military force on Ravnica, the Boros are efficient, self-assured, and passionate in the pursuit of their ideals. Sunhome, the Boros guildhall, serves as both barracks and focal point of worship. The floating citadel known as Parhelion II, restored from the remains of the destroyed Parhelion I, occupies an awe-inspiring place in Ravnica's sky. The Boros believe passionately in law; to them it is the structure by which society functions and acts as the road map for the community's health and safety. Anything that violates the letter of the law, threatens the spirit of the law, or obstructs the enforcement of the law is considered an enemy of the Boros Legion. In effect, anyone who disagrees with the Boros is an enemy of the Boros. Boros Guild Structure The Boros zealously embrace justice and the good of the community, and they are willing to use any means to enforce those beliefs. The structure of this guild is hierarchical and authoritarian. Every Boros member knows his or her place between superiors and those of lesser ranks, and there are protocols for interactions among those different ranks. Ambition toward personal advancement is discouraged. Guild members are taught to respect each other for what service they provide to the guild and to society. In the Legion, everyone has a well-defined function based on rank. From the grunts to the angels, each individual is tasked with particular responsibilities to ensure an efficient execution of Boros ideals. Passion and zeal are encouraged as long as they fit within the belief structures of the guild. Aurelia: The Belligerence Behind the Boros The current guild leader is Aurelia, a former angel warleader who ascended to the rank of archangel. After the death of Razia, the Boros parun, and the disgrace of the previous angel guildmaster, Feather, warleader Aurelia won authority of the guild. Aurelia challenged Feather's ascendancy, arguing that a disgraced angel couldn't command authority or respect. Many agreed, and the few who didn't were quickly shamed into silence. Now that her authority is secure, Aurelia engenders the same respect and awe as Razia, the original parun. But while Razia was more of a figurehead, aloof and untouchable, Aurelia is an active, forceful leader who is directly involved with her underlings. Aurelia's Changes to the Guild Aurelia has reconceived Boros battlefield philosophy and rewritten Boros attack plans that had existed for thousands of years. She has also deployed a new strategic arrangement of the troops, calling for more mass assaults with soldiers in great number. While she continued the standard presence of the Wojek police force and the traditional Boros army in every Ravnican district, she also imposed a superstructure of command divided into "theaters." There are four theaters, each under the command of one of her close advisors. This shift caused some surprise among the commanders of the Wojek and army, although no significant opposition to her decision exists. Aurelia believes that weakness cannot be tolerated in the ranks of Boros. She espouses new battle tactics and coordinated assault groups. In effect, Aurelia has taken all of the existing Boros ideals and increased their intensity. To outsiders, she is a warmonger. To her devoted followers, she is slicing through old inefficiencies to achieve greater effect while staying true to the impassioned ideals of the guild. Boros Roles There are so many ranks and tiers in the Boros Legion that most other guilds can't keep track of them all. Some are summarized here. Warleaders: Angelic Strategists In the past, this tier of ancient angels comprised the meta-tacticians who created millennia-spanning strategies for the Boros. Despite the scope of their knowledge, they were divorced from the everyday planning of battle or logistics of the guild. Aurelia has changed their focus to more practical implementations of war. Firemanes: Paragons of War The firemane angels are holy champions who specialize in single combat. While a firemane can outfight almost any single opponent, she will rarely give or follow orders, preferring to fight alone. Battleforce Angels This rank of warrior angels actively participates in maneuvers and the formations of skyknights. Some command their own legions and work in conjunction with generals and commanders. Under Razia, this would have been an unthinkable mingling of ranks, but Aurelia believes this is a more effective way to achieve Boros ideals while still maintaining the rank system. Guildmages For the Boros, guildmage is a profession that merges religious devotion, arcane mastery, and military might. It is one of the highest ranks a non-angel can achieve in the Boros Legion. According to Boros tradition, guildmage is the only rank that may initiate contact with angels. However, Aurelia has recently relaxed this restriction, as she believes in effectiveness above historical precedent. The Boros Army: Fighters for Ideals The army wing makes up the bulk of the Boros guild. It has a reputation of being devoted, effective, and merciless in defense of its ideals. Boros army roles include: Swiftblade These are the first soldiers into combat. They're the elite marines of Boros specializing in assault and occupation. Flamekin Elemental soldiers made of fire who wear Boros armor. They fight with the rank and file but are also a focal point of valor for the soldiers—a sort of living banner to rally around. Skyknight Mounted Boros soldiers on rocs function as Ravnica's air force. They are well loved by most Ravnicans. Many have become near-celebrities, celebrated for their bravery and daring. They are counterparts to the Wojek League's Skyjeks. The League of Wojek: Enforcers of Order This is the division of the Boros that enforces law and order. Wojeks protect property and the safety of citizens, and they investigate crimes and establish cases against criminals handed over to the Azorius. The League of Wojek is tasked with eliminating civil disorder, and its members function as peacemakers in crowded Ravnica. They also are expected to keep the peace between the guilds. To preserve order by any means necessary is the driving force behind the League of Wojek. Skyjek Skyjeks are counterparts to the Skyknight legionnaires. They ride rocs to patrol and are a frequent sight in the skies above Ravnica. They do not do investigative work and instead focus on patrolling and keeping the peace. The Theaters of War Aurelia assembled a special task force of advisors, each overseeing a theater. Each theater is a subdivision of the guild dedicated to a particular project valuable to the Boros. Theater of Order * Overseen by: Commander Grozdan * Headquartered in: Kamen Fortress * Emphasis: Eliminate Rakdos assassins and spree killers Commander Grozdan A male minotaur soldier, Grozdan is assigned to arrest or eliminate Rakdos assassins and spree killers. Aurelia's orders state that the threat of random violence is a community-killing disease and must be eradicated. Grozdan's strategy is to target Rakdos locations and hotspots rather than focus on tracking individuals. In the past, the Boros have left the Rakdos pleasure clubs alone until there was a killing or other mayhem that spilled beyond its doors. But now, Grozdan's forces are targeting the clubs—even the ones that make a pretense of being legal establishments. So far, this hasn't affected the Rakdos all that much. Most of their clubs move around so frequently that the Boros can't stamp them out. But Grozdan is very aggressive, even to the point that the Rakdos are getting quite annoyed with him. Theater of Integrity * Overseen by: Lieutenant Anksa * Headquartered in: Zelzo Base * Emphasis: Dimir and other underworld activities Anksa, investigator of corruption Lieutenant Anksa is a female Wojek—the youngest ever to reach her rank. She has been placed in charge of a task force to end the criminal activities of Dimir. She is also tasked with investigating the web of crime that extends into the Orzhov and possibly other guilds as well. At the behest of Aurelia, Anksa has appointed a special group to look into a new Izzet invention—part of the Warmind Initiative—that neutralizes spirits. Internally, the group is called the Dead Brigade. Aurelia is paranoid about ghosts, particularly the Orzhov Ghost Council, and wants to eliminate the threat. Theater of Fortification * Overseen by: Advisor Tajic, First Guildmage of the Legion * Headquartered in: Sunhome * Emphasis: Warmind Initiative Tajic, guildmage Advisor Tajic is the highest ranking Boros guildmage. He's in charge of the Warmind Initiative, which is an effort to collaborate with the Izzet to increase Boros weapons and battle effectiveness. The Warmind Initiative At Sunhome, the Boros view collaborating with the Izzet as a necessary compromise to achieving ultimate soldiers, ultimate order, and ultimate discipline. Aurelia believes it is through the advancement of the means of war that the Boros will be able to achieve the perfect society. Some of the Warmind Initiative projects currently under way include: * Using Izzet alchemy to build electrified walls, checkpoints, and warning systems around the Smelting District. * Enhancing Boros soldiers with elemental-infused steamsuits. * Developing more powerful armaments for flamekin soldiers. * Animating stone titans and creating other elementals to serve as city guardians. * Using Izzet magic to fashion more powerful siege machines, weapons, and battlefield traps. Theater of Recruitment * Overseen by: Commander Yaszen * Headquartered in: Horizon Military Academy * Emphasis: Education and conscription Commander Yaszen, recruiter of the youth Yaszen is a male human skyknight who ascended through the ranks based on bravery and strategic thinking. He is now commander of the forces at Horizon Military Academy as well as its superintendent. Aurelia believes that to create the perfect Boros society, the guild must target the young, so while the other military branches have their own training centers, Aurelia has intentionally made this the flagship of their educational efforts. Overseeing the Skies Yaszen has established watches and outposts in outlying districts. He has expanded the mounted divisions and encouraged the breeding and training of rocs and griffins. Almost all the Boros's handlers and riders of flying mounts are now based at Horizon. Under Yaszen, at least ten squadrons of skyknights are patrolling the skies at all times. Boros Attitudes Toward Other Guilds : Azorius: "Legalistic, arrogant pontificators who use law as a weapon to wield power they don't deserve." : Orzhov: "Selfish pretenders with no sense of justice or righteousness." : Dimir: "Immoral snakes who need to be exterminated for the good of the community." : Izzet: "As long as their spellcraft is controlled, it can be beneficial to society." : Rakdos: "Immoral rats who need to be exterminated for the good of the community." : Golgari: "An unfortunate guild that serves a necessary function for the good of all." : Gruul: "Lost souls who haven't been exposed to true righteousness but will embrace Boros ideals if provided the right opportunity." : Selesnya: "While their devotion to their community is noble, they are mistaken about what a perfect society should look like." : Simic: "A wasteful guild preoccupied with arcane, meaningless experimentation."